Monster of Ember Island
by XXX-Rated
Summary: Ty Lee meets a boy who the people of Ember Island proclaim is a demon but is he really? Naruto/Ty Lee
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I cannot claim the wonderful orange clad ninja known as Naruto to be my own, nor can I claim the ownership to the wonderful world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**Monster of Ember Island**

Under the glowing sunlight of a beautiful day, Ember Island was a bustle of fun for whoever attended the beach. What with bonfires every evening and an almost limitless amount of activities, anyone who came would leave with a smile on their face. Most travelers were unaware of a single cursed teen living on the island...until today.

Four Fire Nation royals were sitting on the beach, three of them girls while a single boy sat with them. The boy had red trunks on and shaggy black hair, parted to the left to cover a nasty burn over his eye and face; he chose to sit under an umbrella, glaring at the many boys that approached his group and deterring a good portion of them from their underlying motives. The girl on his immediate right had long black hair, but was dressed less appropriately, what with wearing a black single piece suit underneath a black shirt donated by the boy to her left. On the boy's left was a girl that looked similar to him, save for the scarring on his face, and she was dressed in a red bikini, bathing in the sun with sunglasses on her face while her black hair was pulled up into a ponytail. On the red bikini girl's left was a girl in a bright blue bikini, long brown hair pulled into a French braid as she bathed in the sun like her friend.

"This is the life!" sighed out the braided girl as she enjoyed the sun's warmth, "Don't you think so, Azula? Mai?"

"Yeah, whatever Ty Lee," the girl in the singlet and tee said as she turned a page in the book she was reading, "Fun in the sun and all that jazz..."

"Aw, you're no fun, Mai!" Ty Lee pouted as she rolled onto her side and looked at her before grinning, "You should be happy! You and Zuko are here together, but me and Azula haven't got anyone!"

"Tch," the girl bathing in the rays on Ty Lee's immediate right scoffed. The boy, Zuko, smirked slightly and looked at Azula.

"Jealous I have someone to enjoy this with, dear sister?" Zuko asked in an attempt to fluster her. Azula barked a mocking laugh out before lifting her sunglasses and looking at the scarred boy.

"No, dear brother," she replied with a smirk, "I'm just aware that I am not in immediate need of a man...but now that I think about it, I wonder why my dear friend Mai is sitting with you under that umbrella?"

"You little..." Zuko started to retort, only for Mai to grab her boyfriend's arm and sigh.

Ty Lee frowned, "Don't start guys! We're on vacation! No Avatar, no war, just us and a beach all to ourselves!"

"I hate it," Zuko grumbled as he flopped onto his back, "The Avatar is dead. I'm stuck here with one of my least and most favorite people in the world and I can't enjoy it."

"You keep complaining and you're aura will start staining your skin," Ty Lee pouted at him before smiling, "Get up then! Let's go play volleyball!"

"No," was the unanimous reply. This didn't deter the hyper girl from her attempts to cheer her friends up. She offered swimming, met by dual angered 'no's' from the Prince and Princess of the Fire Nation. Ty Lee tried to offer fishing, but that earned her a look questioning her sanity. She even suggested for them to hit the bar, only to be laughed at by Azula and snickered at by Zuko. Mai wasn't even bothering to reply other than rolling her eyes at her energetic friend's suggestion.

"Ugh, you guys are _so_ boring!" Ty Lee whined loudly when she ran out of ideas, making the three she was with scowl at the noise. Luckily for them, a brown haired teen with an impressive build rushed over to them at her exclamation. He wore simple green trunks and had a grin on his face.

"Hi! I'm Rye," he said, earning a giggle from the brunette of the four, "Heard you were sick of sunbathing but couldn't get anyone to join you in fun. Wanna come see something with me?"

"Oh?" Ty Lee asked before looking the boy over and faintly blushing. Rye grinned and nodded.

"Yeah! It's really cool, but top secret," he whispered, making the others roll their eyes in annoyance as Ty Lee's eyes grew. She knew he was just trying to get some, but it was in her nature to be a tease. It was too fun! Ty Lee stood and smiled, latching onto the boy's arm, before looking at Azula. The Princess sighed and laid back down, her sunglasses hiding her eyes as she had a blank face.

"Be back before midnight," Azula said with disinterest, not really caring what the girl did so long as she returned.

"Okay! Let's go, Rye!" Ty Lee giggled out as the boy led her away. Five minutes after the energetic girl left, Zuko and Mai left to be alone for the first time in a long time. Azula's upper lip curled in a sneer as she watched her brother lead her friend away.

_And he wonders why Father considers him weak_, she thought before shaking her head and standing. She stretched for a moment before walking back to their room for a shower and then to hit a diner for food. Her thoughts briefly went to Ty Lee, but were suddenly cast aside with a simple shake of her head.

"So where are we going, Rye?" Ty Lee asked as Rye led her past other boys on the beach, many feeling their jaws drop, and a few of them being smacked by their respective dates. Ty Lee giggled to herself quietly. Teasing boys was a favorite pastime of hers ever since she was given the talk by her aunt, even during her time in the circus she teased boys she came across, using her flexibility to her advantage.

"Well, about thirteen years ago, a monster was brought to Ember Island," Rye said with utter seriousness. Ty Lee didn't buy it, but she let the boy continue, "He looked like us normal kids, but he was weird. He was covered in red tattoos, kinda like how the Avatar's tattoos were supposed to look, but they were red. His hair was as bright as the sun and his eyes were cold like icicles from the Northern Tribe. Not to mention the black scars on his face."

Ty Lee thought the image up of a young boy looking like Aang, the last Airbender and the Avatar, only with blonde hair, red arrows, blue eyes, black scars, and blue eyes. What she imagined made her giggle girlishly, the thought being more along the lines of cute than scary. Rye noticed this and smirked.

"The girls thought the same thirteen years ago," he said, earning the girl's attention, "But then he did it."

"Did what?" Ty Lee asked curiously. Rye stopped on the outside of a cave on the beach and looked around. When he figured the coast was clear, Rye cupped Ty Lee's ear and answered her.

"He killed his whole neighborhood," Rye whispered, making Ty Lee's eyes go wide. He backed away and smirked as the girl looked at him in disbelief. Rye looked at the cave and continued, "The rest of the Islanders, when they discovered he did it, captured him and locked him away in this cave. My father brings food for him, but one day I followed him...and I saw him get attacked! I rushed in and saved him, cutting the monster on the face."

Ty Lee blinked before looking into the cave, taking a hesitant step back from it. The cave's walls were lined with red aura, but further in there was a deep blue aura. Ty Lee felt curiosity get the best of her and she started to walk into the cave when a hand wrapped around her wrist. Ty Lee looked over at Rye and prepared to strike him, but stopped when he spoke.

"Allow me to go first," Rye said, as he walked past her, "I've managed to hurt the monster before, so you'd best stay behind me so I can protect you."

Rye walked into the cave, lighting a match as he did so, and led Ty Lee towards the blue aura. The red aura made her feel sick, scared, and downright uneasy. When they passed it, Rye tossed the match over to his left, a large fire grew and a groan echoed in the room. Ty Lee blinked at the sudden increase of light and her eyes widened when she saw what lied within the cave's blue aura.

Curled up on the ground, a dirty metal tray in front of a small campfire smoking as it died; laid a blonde teen nearly her age. He wore torn black pants and his body was thin, but she could make out slight lines of a toned stomach. His face had three marks on either cheek, making her think of a Fox spirit she had heard of as a child, as well as a scar across his nose, connecting the two top whisker marks. From the faint light, she could make out even more scarring and dark bruises, making Ty Lee question just why Rye had brought her here.

"Oi! Monster! Get up!" said teen suddenly exclaimed. 'Monster' groaned and turned over, bluntly ignoring the teen yelling at him.

"Don't ignore me you bastard!" Rye snarled, lifting a rock up and throwing it at the blonde. It connected with his shoulder and the boy released another grunt as his hand went to his shoulder. Rye smirked before grinning back at Ty Lee, but frowned when he saw a horrified look on her face. Thinking that her look was one of annoyance and boredom, Rye went over to the small fire, grabbed a flaming log, and chucked it at the boy.

"GET UP!" Rye yelled as the blonde was hit in the knee and he cried out this time, his hand went from his shoulder to his knee. 'Monster's breathing had increased tremendously and he moved to sit up, scooting himself back from the brown haired teens and into a wall of the cave. Ty Lee frowned at the sight, but it only made things worse as Rye interpreted it as disappointment in the 'Monster's lack of rage.

"You stupid bastard," Rye growled, reaching into his back pocket and pulling a knife from a sheath that was attached to the back of his trunks, "Do you really wanna make me mad, again?"

"J...J-Just l-l-leave m-me alone..." 'Monster' whispered out, pain and what Ty Lee assumed to be fear in his voice, "Please...?"

"...Tch, fine, whatever," Rye scoffed, placing his knife back where it once rested. He turned to Ty Lee and smirked, "See? He's so damn scared of me. Sorry I couldn't show you what he could do-OW!"

He was interrupted by a smack to the face and rubbed his cheek, wondering why that happened. Rage grew as he looked at Ty Lee, who was glaring at him, before he lifted his hand to strike back. Ty Lee caught his hand and twisted his wrist, snapping it. Rye dropped to his knee, crying out in pain.

"Gah! You bitch!" he yelled, cradling his broken wrist carefully, "What'd ya do that for?"

Ty Lee didn't bother answering, instead turning her attention to the confused blonde holding his burnt knee and walking towards him. He held his breath as she approached and turned into the cave wall, recoiling from her and holding his left hand out.

"P-please, just leave me alone..." he quietly begged. Ty Lee smiled softly and gently put her hands on the blonde's hand, taking note of the red arrow going up the backside of his arm, starting on the back of his hand, similar to the Avatar's markings. He looked up at her and Ty Lee froze as she looked into his eyes. They were a dark blue, sadness, fear, and other depressing emotions circling around the pitch black pupils in the center of his eyes.

"Are you ok?" she asked quietly, making him widen his eyes in shock. Rye's eye twitched in annoyance.

"What the fuck? You're asking that bastard if he's ok after you broke _my_ wrist?" the teen yelled with irritation. He stood and started to move towards her, his left hand raised in preparation to attack. Ty Lee scowled and faced the cute boy she harmed not more than five seconds ago. With the quick agility she was graced with, Ty Lee leapt up and kicked the boy away, her foot colliding with the rough edge of his jaw. Rye landed with a skid near the mouth of the cave and fell unconscious.

"...Y-you didn't have to do that," the blonde said as Ty Lee walked back over to him. She frowned, his aura being a dark blue with red flickers edging it made her uneasy but sad at the same time. Ty Lee attempted to touch his knee but he pushed her hand away.

"Don't," he said, before standing, a wince crossing his face as he did so, and walking to the fireplace that was no more than ash and burnt kindling. He looked at the fire to his right and took a deep breath before lifting a hand and directing the fire to the pit he had before, a bright red flame burning. Ty Lee wasn't shocked by the fact he was a Firebender, she was shocked when he hadn't used a single stance to control it though.

"How'd you do that?" she asked curiously as she relocated to his left side, looking at him with wide eyes, "I mean, Azula and Zuko are Firebenders too, but they have to use dances! You did it with a small wave! That's amazing!"

"No...It's a curse," the blonde sighed as he wrapped his arms around his legs and stared into the pit. A moment of silence came, and Ty Lee waited patiently for him to explain. When he made no sign of doing so, she frowned.

A smile crossed her face as she decided to befriend the boy and she spoke, "My name's Ty Lee!"

"..." no response came back. Ty Lee frowned, not expecting that before grinning again and poking his side. His eyes looked at her, but his head didn't follow, and she rolled onto her stomach, rolling her feet to meet her shoulders, as well as placing her chin on her crossed arms.

"Probably wondering how I do this, right?" she asked, quietly hoping he would speak. She frowned when he simply looked back at the fire. Ty Lee was many things, but if there was one thing that really irked her, it was being ignored. She had enough of that growing up with five other sisters that looked just like her. She pouted and spoke again, "Don't you wanna talk?"

"No." he softly said, "I just wanna be left alone."

"Well that's lame..." Ty Lee groaned, unrolling herself and sitting in a cross-legged position, "Why do you want to be alone?"

"I could ask you why you want to be acknowledged," the blonde countered, his eyes looking at her. It was like he was looking past her and into the wall of the cave behind her. Ty Lee frowned again.

"That's none of your business," Ty Lee quietly said. A small upturn of the blonde's lips was seen and she blinked in confusion.

"Exactly my point."

Ty Lee frowned, crossing her arms under her bust, and stared hard at the blonde. She didn't know what he was thinking, but she could tell his aura wasn't changing at all.

"You should open up," she suddenly said with a grin, making him eye her again in curiosity, "Your aura will scar you if you don't."

He hardened his eyes and Ty Lee flinched under the gaze. The blue eyes cut off all emotion save for one, and all she saw was anger. Pure, misguided, but pure anger at her suggestion. He looked back at the flame, which was turning white as his anger grew, before he replied.

"Like I care."

Ty Lee frowned and stood, putting her hands on her hips, "Well fine! I'm going back to my friends then!"

"..." he remained quiet, staring at the flame as it turned back to the orange-red mixture of dismissal. Ty Lee shivered at the sight of his aura, which lightened slightly, before she left the cave, stepping on top of the unconscious Rye as she did so. As much as she tried to stop, her mind kept drifting back to the slight shimmer of happiness that came from him as he was left alone.

"Ty Lee," Azula greeted as the girl walked into the room with a smirk, "How was that thing Rye showed you?"

When she received no cheerful response or the feigned sorrow of denying the teen sexual pleasures, the Fire Princess looked at her friend. Truly, looked at her. Azula blinked when she saw Ty Lee had nothing but a small frown on her face.

Being the girl she was, normally she would just brush it off her shoulder. If it didn't affect her directly, then it didn't matter was her manner of thinking. However, considering they were alone, and that she was feeling fairly generous at the moment, Azula sighed before asking with feigned curiosity, "What's wrong?"

"That guy..." Ty Lee whispered, sitting on the cushion to Azula's left. Azula blinked before looking at her friend with genuine curiosity. Something happened with that Rye guy, Azula realized, and if it bugged Ty Lee this much, she could ruin our mission. The Mission Azula was referring to was that that had belonged to her brother during his banishment; capturing the Avatar. Only a few hours ago did she receive a hawk from her father, telling her to double check the Earth Kingdom for signs of the Avatar. Apparently rumors had been spreading that he still lived. Rumors were the beginning of hope, and hope was the fuel for resistance.

It was Azula's job to destroy that hope.

"Rye? Ty Lee, did he...did he rape you?" Azula asked. Ty Lee whipped her head to look at the princess before blinking. A second later, a giggle came from her and Azula sighed in relief. A Firebender she may not be, but Ty Lee was a hell of a fighter and if she lost her edge, Azula would have to replace her...something that made the princess feel uneasy.

"Rape me? No way, ew!" Ty Lee giggled out before sighing and smiling at her friend, focusing on the positive of her experience, "He took me to a cave where a monster was."

"Oh really?" Azula asked with feigned interest as she began planning for their leave back to the Earth Kingdom, "What monster was that?"

"Some boy," Ty Lee said, her cheerfulness returning with a vengeance, "He was my age, maybe Zuko's, and a Firebender!"

"...Really?" Azula asked with genuine shock. Most Firebenders were retired advisors to the Fire Lord, or soldiers in the Fire Kingdom's army. Not a single Firebender, aside from those in a school or noblemen's children, were unlisted in the service roster of the Fire Kingdom.

"Yeah! And he didn't have to use your dances either! It was cool!" Azula furrowed her brow at this. Whatever this monster was, he sounded incredibly gifted with his bending abilities. If she could reel him in and take him to her father...A smile crossed the Fire Princess' lips before she turned to her energetic friend, who was muttering about bad auras.

"Ty Lee," Azula spoke, making the girl look at her, "Can you...take me to this boy?"

* * *

**_XXX-Rated: yep good right? I adopted this from TommyBAuthor93 and I'll be finishing it see ya!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I cannot claim the wonderful orange clad ninja known as Naruto to be my own, nor can I claim the ownership to the wonderful world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**Monster of Ember Island**

He sighed as the fire grew and died with his breathing. The light reflected off of his eyes and the flames glowed brightly in the dulled blue orbs. It was calm. He liked the calm. The calm was good. He didn't dream of..._it_.

He shuddered at the thought of _it_. The mere thought of _it_ made him scared. He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to clear his mind of the voices.

"_You are no more a hero than I am a God..." a voice with no emotion said, "You want peace. I want peace. Peace...through Pein."_

"_**RELEASE ME!"**_

"NO!" he shouted, his eyes snapping open just as the white fire died down to a smoldering crisp. He panted, sighed, and fell onto his back. He ran a hand through his spiky-yet-soft blonde hair and took a few breaths before he sat back up. He looked at the red mark on his right arm, identical to the one on his left, and traced it with his left fingers. He asked himself time and again why the Fire Spirit chose him, but he already knew the answer. He scowled and cursed his ancestor's decision.

_Damn you, Jin...Damn you to the hottest depths of Hell!_ He thought with a growl before sighing and calming himself. The interaction with the girl earlier really agitated him, the unconscious body at the mouth of his cave did nothing to soothe his irritation. The blonde stared at the body with hate before sighing again and getting to his feet.

As he walked towards the edge of the cave, he thought about the girl that had knocked the teen unconscious. He frowned, recalling her attempts to make him talk, and then blushed when he recalled her flexibility. A nomad he may be, a monster as well, but he was educated by a few elders on the island, taught things he would need to know later in life, nearly five years ago. A smile graced his face as he recalled one elder that treated him as his kin, before he scowled as he recalled the fact he was drafted into the Fire Lord's advisor council.

_Damn Fire Lord...He could stop the war...Damn War...wouldn't even be on if the damn Avatar did his job...Damn Avatar...Dying on us like that... God damn it!_ His last thought was due to the fact he stubbed his toe on a jutted stone. Hissing in pain, the blonde gripped at his foot and hopped in pain before glaring at the rock and sending a white-hot fireball at the rock, melting it where it was into glass. With anger backing him, the blonde brought his foot back and delivered an axe kick to the glass, shattering it with his heel.

"Damn rock..." he grumbled before looking back to the body. He knelt down and took the knife and sheath hanging on the back of the teen's pants. He examined the blade and shrugged before placing it in his back pocket. Grabbing the teen by his trunks and shoulder, the blonde lifted him up and carried him out to the beach.

The sun was setting and had he really stopped to look at it, he would have called the scene beautiful. However, the only thing on the blonde's mind was to have peace. Peace he apparently was denied in a past life. With a bit of a strain, the blonde grunted as he threw the unconscious teen into the shallows of the sea, making said teen sputter as he woke up and looked around.

Eyes were all on the strange blonde walking away from the teen he had thrown into the water, and a good majority of the female populace began whispering in approval as he vanished towards the side of the mountain. Many giggled as they watched him walk away, their attentions going to his derriere as he walked, even more felt heat hit their face as he walked towards them.

The blonde ignored the stares and whispers he received, not wanting to be bothered by them, and had he been distracted by them, he would have run into a teen couple enjoying a nice walk on the beach.

That didn't mean the two avoided him.

"Oof! Hey, watch it!" the guy grunted as he fell to his backside. The blonde sighed rubbing his face before offering him a hand. He noted the burn on the teen's face and he briefly wondered why the teen's burn made him (the blonde) think of the Fire Lord. Something about the Fire Lord burning someone wiggled its way into his mind, but he shook it off and smiled slightly.

"Here," he quietly said as he pulled the teen up to his feet, "Sorry. Enjoy the beach."

"Yeah...thanks," Zuko replied before turning to his girlfriend as the blonde walked away from them, "...Did you see his hair?"

"Yeah," Mai nodded, before they both looked at the last spot the teen was at, "Huh...he didn't give his name."

"Why do you care about his name?" asked the Fire Prince with a frown. Mai smiled slightly up at him and interlocked her fingers with his.

"He seemed nice, maybe he could get Azula off her mantle and get her to relax," Mai reassured her boyfriend, "No reason to be jealous."

"Jealous? Who's jealous! I'm, I...hm? Mm..." Mai cut off Zuko's rant with a small kiss that he melted into instantly. The girl broke the kiss and smiled sweetly at her boyfriend, "It's cute that you're jealous. Tell anyone I said that, and I'll cut you."

"Said what?" Zuko asked, playing dumb. He was patted on the cheek in a result.

"Come on, Azula!" Ty Lee said as she walked the beach with the princess. A thin silk blue skirt covered her bikini bottom as it tied together over her left hip. Azula rolled her eyes as she walked out, wearing red pants and a red gi with a black belt. She rubbed the black bands on her wrist and smirked at her acrobatic friend.

"You're rather eager to see this boy again," teased the Fire Lord's only daughter. Ty Lee smiled and mentally cursed her friend.

"It's almost like you want to break his shell," Azula said with a smirk before looking ahead where Mai and Zuko were. Patting Ty Lee on the shoulder, the raven haired girl said, "Well, well...my favorite target has taken your place, my friend."

"Oh, Zuko!" Azula called, looking ahead as the two paused in mid step, making Azula smirk as she guessed the various words running through their minds, "Come and join Ty Lee and I as we find a Firebender!"

Zuko and Mai turned around, both now confused beyond belief. As Azula filled them in on what Ty Lee experienced earlier, Mai noticed a faint blush appear on their cheerful friend, but chose to remain quiet and question the acrobat at a later day. Zuko, having paid attention to the whole story, realized the description matched the boy that had knocked him down. When he said this and he realized what Azula was going to do, he immediately sided with her, his ego demanding to meet this apparent 'monster'.

Ty Lee stopped at the mouth of the cave and shuddered. She hated the feeling of the red aura. It made her sick. As she stepped back again, Mai put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Ty Lee smiled at her friend and with newfound energy, skipped into the cave. Zuko and Azula felt their eyes twitch at the unbound energy known as Ty Lee, and Mai merely smiled, her tolerance for Ty Lee's cheerful attitude surpassing the tolerance of the two children of the Fire Lord.

"Hey! I'm back!" Ty Lee called as she came up to the fire pit. The blonde furrowed his brows and the fire turned white, making the approaching three blink in astonishment, before he opened his eyes and looked at the girl.

"...Why?" he asked after a moment. He just wanted to be alone dammit. Was it too much to ask?

"Because Azula wanted to meet you!" Ty Lee said, gesturing to Azula and grinning at the boy, "She's a Firebender like you! Well, not like you, she's gotta do the dances. She can also bend Lightning!"

He blinked before looking at the girl wearing red and black. She looked back at him, her golden irises reflecting absolute confidence and her stance showing she wanted to challenge him. The boy sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Why can't anyone understand I just want to be _alone_?" he asked no one in particular. The flames grew in size and turned white again. Zuko, feeling the heat from where he stood, stepped forward.

"Before we do anything else, I, Prince Zuko, demand you give me your name," he said, making the blonde look up at him. The blonde blinked before bowing, his face touching the sand, and he quietly spoke.

"Prince Zuko..." the blonde said, "I have knocked you to the ground and disgraced your honor. With your permission...I wish to speak freely."

"Only with your name," Zuko replied. Behind him, Mai frowned. Zuko was doing much better without being called a prince and he was unwinding, but as soon as the blonde addressed him, he stepped back into arrogant prick mode.

"My name is Naruto," the blonde said as he went back to his knees before he snarled, "And I want you out of _my_ cave!"

"What?" Zuko asked before the white flame came alive and shot into his chest. Zuko cried out in pain as he was sent flying towards the mouth of the cave. The girls all looked back to see the blonde glaring in their direction, three white fireballs circling his body. Ty Lee and Mai stepped back, but the ever cocky Azula moved forward.

"Impressive," she said, "You are the fastest one to knock Zu-Zu on his back, probably second only to my father." At the mention of her father, Naruto's face formed a deeper scowl, but she ignored it and continued, "I offer you a chance to serve your Kingdom under me."

"Let me think about that," Naruto said, turning to the side and crossing his arms as he thought. Ty Lee nervously watched as the white fires slowed in their orbit and began merging into a fireball nearly as large as his head. His aura was turning redder and redder as his anger grew.

"Your response?" Azula asked. Ty Lee looked to her friend and started to voice something, only to receive a glare. Naruto looked back at Azula with a small smile.

"Ok, how about this..." he said before scowling, "Fuck. No."

Azula, had she not expected that response, would have been shocked by the sudden launch of the large white fireball. However, she was expecting the response and had braced herself for the attack, quickly going into a stance that would allow her to redirect the flame to the left side of the cave. The hiss that came from the contact made her look to see glass in the place of sand and she blinked before a fist imbedded itself in her stomach.

"I said get out!" Naruto snarled, pulling his left fist back and spinning into a side right thrust kick, sending Azula flying to land next to her dazed brother. Naruto stopped his spin with his heel digging into the ground, his eyes locking on the two girls standing before him.

"I told you to leave me alone," the blonde growled to Ty Lee, "Why? Why did you bring them?"

"I-I...Azula..." Ty Lee was at a loss for words. Normally, she would have bounded in to provide backing assistance to her friend, but the red aura was nearly toxic to her. His angry visage imbedded itself in her mind and she took a hesitant step back. Behind the visage, she saw something. A demonic face appeared behind Naruto's head, taking the form of a large beast. It smirked at her as Naruto scowled and brought his hand back.

"JUST GO AWAY!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the cave, and thrust his left hand forward. A large, warm gust of wind made the two cover their faces with their arms and they skidded out of the cave. Zuko and Azula were getting back to their feet as they stumbled backwards before righting themselves. Ty Lee shook at the sight of the aura on the cave walls. It was a much darker red, red she had seen a few times on herself.

It was blood red.

Naruto panted and he killed all light in the cave by calming himself down. He saw the fear on her face, on Ty Lee's face, and he saw the faint glint of fear in the other girl, Zuko's girlfriend's, eyes. It made him mad. They came and bothered him after he asked them to leave him alone. He asked again, and again, and again. No one would listen. Never listen.

_Why can't they just leave me alone?_ Naruto asked, crouching to the ground and holding his head. He took a moment to calm himself before turning to the left and taking a deep breath. He wasn't going to be safe here. Not anymore.

"They'll draw a crowd," He reasoned with himself, "They'll bring soldiers...Soldiers...Goddamn it..."

Naruto clenched his fists and growled before running towards the mouth of the cave. He saw stars. It was night. He could leave now. He skidded to a stop when he noticed something at the edge.

Naruto sniffed the air and scowled, "Gunpowder." He brought his hand back and waved it, sending a soft flame to light the gunpowder, making it explode and earning a single yelp of surprise. The blonde recognized the voice belonging to Ty Lee. For a moment he hoped she was ok before he shook the feeling off and rushed through the flames, ignoring the burns he gained on his feet.

"Damn!" Azula scowled as her plan backfired. She planned on lighting the gunpowder and stopping him just before he ran past it, stopping him into the cave. She figured as a hermit, and from the flinching he was described to show when Rye had thrown a flaming log at him, he would be afraid of fire. Then again, he was a firebender...

"Nice one, Azula," Zuko growled as he rubbed his eye, trying to rid it of the flash blinding he received.

"Shut up, Zu-Zu!" Azula shot back before rushing after the fleeing blonde, "Come on! He's getting away!"

"Shouldn't we just let him go, then?" Ty Lee asked, her concern for their safety being reflected in her question, "He's just a guy, Azula."

"You saw the flames, Zuko," Azula growled as they chased the fleeing bender, "Hot enough to be bright white, melt rock, you know who he is."

"The Fox Spirit Wielder..." Zuko whispered under his breath before pushing himself to his limits. He recalled the legend well, as his Uncle often spoke of the Lost Fire Country around summertime.

"You mean...it's not a story?" Mai mumbled as she ran. Ty Lee looked with confusion at her friend, and Mai looked back before she explained, "There's legend of a Lost Fire Country to the far east, beyond the edge of the Earth Country. It was part of Nations that housed the first Benders. It's said spirits ruled the lands, that they often fought each other and caused many deaths. After the first Avatar died, the Spirits acted and left our world...except some were captured and sealed into children."

"Why?" Ty Lee asked, shivering at the thought, "What...is the Fox like a Dragon spirit?"

"Stronger," Zuko answered, "It's said that if a wielder of the Fox ever was a bender, they would be able to do many things the Avatar would only dream of..."

"And if we bring him to father, we shall be proclaimed heroes of the Fire Nation!" Azula cried with a fire glowing behind her golden irises, "Now...FIRE!"

She and Zuko skidded to a stop before spinning in sync and throwing their left legs out, forming a large fireball that was sent flying into the blonde's back. Naruto fell to the ground with a grunt, pushing himself back to his feet as quick as he could. Before he could run, Azula continued and sent a fireball via her right fist into the back of his left knee. Naruto fell again and stopped himself with his hands. He growled and pushed himself up, but Ty Lee, having shaken her fear off, rushed forward and jabbed two fingers into the back of his neck, paralyzing him by sealing his chi.

"G-G-God...D-D-Damn...Y-Y-You!" Naruto grunted out as the other three came to a stop around him. Ty Lee was standing on her hands, her feet resting on her head, and she stared into the angered and saddened eyes of the blonde stuck on his knees before her. She gave him a smile, whether it angered him or not wasn't known, and winked.

"Now then," Azula said, kicking Naruto in the side and making him roll onto his back, his arms going limp and his legs following. The princess smirked and moved her face close to his, "You're coming with us. Whether you like it or not."

Naruto didn't try to reply. He simply glared at the sky as Azula and Zuko grabbed his arms, dragging him back to their hotel. He wasn't pleased with this outcome.

_It was daytime. The sunlight shined brightly. All around him, people cried out in fear. People cried out in pain. People called for loved ones. Some wailed in tears. Others swore for revenge. He didn't care._

_He was in power._

_A man ran at him and dragged a small knife against his ankle. He growled in annoyance and swung his tail. The man was incinerated on the spot. Others attempted to do the same, only to meet the same fate. He smirked in victory and howled to the moon._

_Then there was an explosion. He looked behind him and a large frog wearing an open yakuta and wielding a large blade glared at him. He snarled and growled as he noticed a blonde man standing atop him._

_The man did a lot of movements with his hand and then a bright light enveloped the room._

"NOOOOO!" Naruto cried out as he sat up in a cold sweat. Two hands grabbed his shoulders and forced him down to the bed. He panted heavily as he tried to calm down and he looked around. Zuko and his girlfriend that had yet to be named were pushing him down. Azula smirked from her place standing at the end of the bed he was on.

"Aw, someone have a bad dream?" she asked mockingly, earning a heated glare from the teen.

"I'll never work for you," Naruto snarled, baring his impressive long and sharp canines, "I just want to be left alone!"

"But you can be," Azula said, making the blonde stop fighting and look at her warily. Azula smirked and looked over at Ty Lee, who was staring at the blonde almost worriedly from her place on the chair she was sitting in with her legs crossed. The golden eyes locked back on the blue ones of Naruto and Azula continued, "Think about it. You help us win the war, we give you your own island. No one will bother you again."

Naruto felt his breath hitch in his throat. He looked from Azula to Ty Lee, Zuko, Zuko's unknown girlfriend, and back to Azula before he considered his options. One hand, he remains a prisoner of the Fire Kingdom, gets tortured almost daily, beaten, raped by either men or women, basically things he's tried to avoid by staying in his cave for such a long time. On the other hand, he helps win the war, killing thousands and adding his name to that of the history books. The biggest question being, _after _the war, would he be labeled hero...or Monster.

He continued to think this over before looking at Azula in defeat. Worst case scenario, his name is tarnished for eternity. Before he could answer, Azula smirked and waved her hand as she and the others left the room, "You have until we leave for Earth Kingdom-I'm sorry, _Fire_ Kingdom's city of Ba Sing Se. That's four days. Until then, one of us will be keeping you company. Enjoy."

Naruto blinked before he gasped as Ty Lee jabbed her fingers into the side of the base of his neck. His blurred vision made out an apologetic face, and then it all went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I cannot claim the wonderful orange clad ninja known as Naruto to be my own, nor can I claim the ownership to the wonderful world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**Monster of Ember Island**

He sighed in relief as the shackles binding him to the bed were released before growling as a new pair was placed on his arms by the Fire Nation Soldier standing before him. Four days had come and gone, Naruto hated every minute of it. The first day, Prince Zuko was his guard. The prick wouldn't even look at Naruto, and when he did it was a glare. The blonde wondered if it was due to the fact he was jealous of his power or if it was because his markings reminded him of the boy he used to chase. The second day he was granted the presence of Azula herself. She got on his nerves well enough, taunting him with the promise of being alone, trying to entice a reaction out of him while she pushed his buttons. The third day he met Mai. Needless to say, he enjoyed her company. She left him alone while he meditated. This morning was the most taxing of them all, as he was left to fend with the hyperactive and happy Ty Lee.

**~~That Morning~~**

"Aw, you're not still mad for the chi sealing thing are you?" The brunette asked as she tied her hair into her signature braid as she sat in the chair across from Naruto's bed. The blonde kept his eyes narrowed as he ate a cooked fish with one hand. He didn't understand her; she was always so happy, so talkative.

Ty Lee pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, "Well it's not like you were gonna come peacefully."

"Why couldn't you have left me alone?" Naruto finally snapped, his cold eyes locking on the surprised ones of the brunette in front of him, "I was fine! Peachy keen until you had to bring those...Benders! I was alone! Why did you come back?"

Ty Lee smiled, "Because no one needs to be alone, silly!"

He snapped. He chucked the half-eaten cooked fish at her and tried to stand, only to be pulled back down by the strong shackle attached to his right arm. Ty Lee ducked under the thrown meal and looked at Naruto as he glared at the shackle on his arm. The blonde growled in anger and tugged at his binds, his muscles tensing with each pull and the temperature in the room subtly started to rise.

"I don't want this! I don't want to be near anyone!" Naruto snarled as he tugged at the chain, "I JUST WANT TO BE _ALONE_!"

Ty Lee watched with slight fear as the red aura grew around the blonde, eclipsing and devouring the saddened blue aura that he was usually with. The demonic image resurfaced itself next to Naruto's arm, and smirked at her before turning back to the blonde and chuckling. The brunette watched as the half-naked blonde tugged and pulled on the reinforced chains restraining him. She had to give it to Azula, her friend's training supplies came in handy when needed.

A loud sickening pop filled the room and Naruto howled in pain. His left hand went to his right shoulder, and just as his fingers grazed his skin, he cried out again. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth grit tightly. Ty Lee worriedly looked at the blonde and started to walk over to him, when he snapped his attention back to her.

"Get the hell away from me!" he growled, tears of pain brimming along his eyes, but it was easy to see he was fighting them back. Ty Lee's concern grew, but had been overshadowed by the anger she felt growing in the back of her mind. Now, usually, she'd go spar to relieve her pent up 'dark' emotions, but with the way her kindness was being received, she wondered if he would respond better to her if she snarled back.

Which she did.

"Oh get over yourself!" Ty Lee snapped, making Naruto look at her as she approached. He watched her with caution as she grabbed his shoulder and arm, earning a hiss of pain from the blonde. Ty Lee, feeling slightly better that she was now able to help him, pushed her anger back and spoke kindly to him once again, "This might hurt..."

"Might nothing," he grumbled back, already grabbing the edge of the bed with his free hand. Naruto watched as she pressed his arm in several spots, making it seem number than it was, before she gripped his arm tightly. A crack echoed in the room and Naruto cried out in pain. The wooden frame he was clutching snapped under his reflexive grip. Naruto's jaw shut with a snap and he pressed his teeth together hard enough that blood leaked from his gum-line.

Ty Lee winced at the sound of his cracking arm and felt horrible when he cried out, but to distract herself, she began reopening the chi in his left arm. The blonde's tense body started to relax as she did this, and when she finished, he lied back on the bed, releasing a small sigh of relief.

It was quiet for a moment then, but Naruto broke the quiet when he mumbled something.

"What was that?" Ty Lee asked, curious as to what he mumbled.

"I said thank you," was the quiet reply she got from him. Ty Lee's smile returned full force and she hopped to her feet.

"No problem!" Ty Lee shot back with her wide smile, not dimming at all when the blonde sat up and stared at her with impassiveness. She flipped back to her chair and sat down, her legs crossing over one another as she stared at him. They sat in silence once again before Ty Lee broke it, "So...have you decided?"

"Yes."

"Really? That's great! What'd you choose?"

"No."

"No?" the brunette asked with shock before frowning, "But...you'll be locked in the brig. Azula said-"

"I remember what she said," the blonde quietly replied. He closed his eyes and reopened them; anger flashing over the dark blue orbs Ty Lee stared at, "She wants me to be a 'weapon' for the Fire Lord. To 'spread the good will and beliefs of our Kingdom'."

"Right! Which is great...isn't it?" Ty Lee asked, her voice turning shy and innocent as she watched a smirk appear on Naruto's face.

"Denial," he said to her, making Ty Lee blink before Naruto continued with an amused chuckle, "I see. If only I was like you, then I might be able to push the darkness away, hide from the truth."

"What truth?" Ty Lee asked, her heart speeding up as fear seeped its way into her mind. Did he know? Would he call her on her fouls?

"That what the Fire Lord is doing is no better than what the Earth King two hundred years ago did," Naruto said, his eyes locking on the fearful chocolate brown ones before him. He pursed his lips upon seeing her fear, but remained true to what he was saying as he continued, "Only then...the Avatar wasn't a boy...nor was he the last of his kind. A shame, but it's his people's own fault. Just like the inevitable future the Fire Lord has set for our people."

"W-What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked. She wasn't liking where this conversation was going. His aura was turning red again, but he wasn't getting violent. He was just getting cruel...and being honest.

"When this war is over," Naruto said, looking past her to the window, looking to the water, "The victor will decide what happened in the beginning. Their decision will justify the means of prejudice towards the losers."

"W-What...?"

"_If_ the Fire Kingdom wins...then my words are not meaningful...today, anyway," the blonde said, his voice softening as he said the last words. With a fire in his eyes, he continued, "But if the Fire Kingdom _loses_...Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Ty Lee remained silent and slowly nodded. Naruto smiled and looked at the ceiling as he laid back down. The brunette watched with a frozen posture before she asked, "T-Then why not choose to join us? Why choose to be imprisoned?"

"Because I'm not going to kill innocent people...not again," the blonde whispered as he closed his eyes. Ty Lee remained where she was, deep in thought, while Naruto fell asleep; memories of a past and violent life echoing in his mind.

**~~Present~~**

"You were foolish to choose imprisonment boy," the soldier said as he and a platoon of Firebenders escorted the blonde towards a large naval ship, "You could have had the honor of fighting alongside the great Fire Lord Ozu's army!"

"Yeah, and your mother could have fucked an Earthbender," Naruto shot back, making the soldier stop and growl at his insult. The blonde remained impassive before yawning and looking at the ship, "But, the past can't be changed, now can it?"

"Smug little prick..." the soldier grumbled as they resumed escorting him to the ship belonging to the two children of the fire lord. Azula smiled smugly as he walked past her towards the holding cells. Mai and Ty Lee watched with mixed emotions as the blonde was escorted down towards the brig. He gave a look towards Zuko, now wearing Fire Kingdom issue armor, who merely glanced back without a single emotion on his face.

Naruto was chained in his cell, the two ends of the chain linking to cuffs around his wrists and the chain itself being held above him by a hook imbedded in the wall. He growled at the two guards standing before his cell and tested the strength of the links. Sighing he closed his eyes and began to think about how quiet it was in the cell.

Days passed since they had left Ember Island and a brunette teen on the ship couldn't stop thinking about a prisoner being held below. She had visited him from time to time, Ty Lee frowned and thought, _No, not time to time...Every day...I visited him every day and he hasn't even said hi to me...or acknowledged me! Why didn't he even look at me?_

Ty Lee groaned in frustration as she flopped backwards on her bed, dressed in a light gi and slacks, her hands going to her head as she clawed through her hair. She had never gotten so stressed over a boy before. Not even growing up or when she had crushed on a boy while in the circus had she been so determined to get the attention of a boy near her age.

"Thinking about your boyfriend?" Ty Lee snapped her head over to see Azula standing in her doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk plastered on her face. The brunette's face turned a shade pinker and she sat up, her arms crossing over her chest.

"N-No! I don't have a boyfriend, so...Why are you here, Azula?" Ty Lee asked, her attempt of changing the subject amusing the raven haired princess of the Fire Nation.

Azula's smirk didn't even falter as she replied, "Oh, so the prisoner is just a friend? You wouldn't mind if Father had me try to bed with him?"

Ty Lee's heart clenched at the thought but she brushed the feeling aside and paled, "Ew! Azula, that's...Ew! We're not talking about that!"

"Oh? Is wittle Ty Wee embarrassed by the thought of having _relations_ with the prisoner?" the daughter of the Fire Lord asked, making Ty Lee's face turn just a shade darker, before she continued, putting a finger on her chin as she feigned consideration, "He does have a unique...allure, doesn't he? Not to mention his power...Throw his looks into the mix and he'd make a perfect Fire Lord...well, a face for a Fire Lord. I'd be the one in charge after all."

"Azula!" Ty Lee whined, covering her ears as her face heated up, "This is gross!"

"This is reality!" Azula snapped back with a roll of her eyes, "Ty Lee, stop putting this foolish façade up before you do something you'll regret. Now, just tell me why you've been visiting the prison-"

Before the question could be asked, an explosion rocked the ship and Azula gripped the doorway to remain where she was, stumbling only momentarily. Ty Lee, meanwhile, used her agility and trapeze skills to flip onto the wall before pushing off and landing near Azula. The princess looked at her friend, a raging fire glowing behind her eyes.

"I'll get my answer Ty Lee," Azula growled, gripping the collar of the brunette's gi, "But after we stop whatever nuisance has decided to attack us!"

"R-Right, Azula," Ty Lee replied before following her friend/leader. Her thoughts drifted to the blonde suspended in his cell within the deck and she worried momentarily for his safety. Her thoughts were dashed when a fist suddenly flew at her, making her duck under the attempted punch before she spun to her left and sweep kicked the legs of her attacker out from under their feet.

Her eyes narrowed at the geisha now cradling the back of her head and she rolled backwards to dodge a sudden bladed fan being imbedded in the ground before her.

"You!" She said accusingly to the Kyoshi Warrior, who smirked as she pulled her fan back.

"Heard the Fire Lord's children were heading back to Ba Sing Se," the girl with short brown hair said as she opened her fans and went into a fighting stance, "Heading there with a prize that would turn the war's tide."

"Ty Lee, deal with her!" Azula called from where she stood opposite a North Water Tribe member, "I've got my own problems..."

"Fine by me," Ty Lee mumbled, settling into her own stance.

Naruto grunted as the boat shook again. The blonde opened his eyes to see two Fire Nation Soldiers impaling a Water Tribe member with their blades. The dark skinned warrior gasped as he slowly died; the keys in his hand dropping to the floor. Naruto frowned.

If they freed him and took him away, they'd want him to fight for their cause.

If they didn't, he'd probably end up fighting them.

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he heard cries of pain, from both sides, echoing through the night. The blonde bowed his head and prayed, asking the spirits to give him an answer.

He was not disappointed.

_**KILL THEM ALL, BOY! KILL THEM ALL!**_ The monster from his dreams cried, its roar echoing in his head.

_No,_ Naruto thought stubbornly, his eyes snapping open as he watched the two soldiers enjoy the slow death of the Water Tribe member. They sounded like they were laughing.

Just like he did many years ago...only without the cruel reason for doing so.

He thought of Ty Lee as she visited him every day since their leaving of Ember Island. She was pure...an innocent dragged into the madness, much like the children of these men and the man dying on the ground. Naruto frowned again.

_I respect her denial...I envy it..._He realized as he looked down with pity towards the man dying, _Dammit...if I want to do something, I might as well stop her from corrupting herself. Maybe if I save one soul...I can redeem my own._

_**Foolish mortal...we are beyond redemption!**_ He ignored the thought and tensed his arms as he pulled on the chain.

The two guards heard the cracks, but paid them no heed. The left soldier cried out when a hand plunged through his stomach, drenched in blood and acidic fluids. The right gasped in shock as the prisoner, once bound to the wall by simple chains, now pulled his arm from his dying friend.

"They called me Monster," Naruto mumbled as he melted the cell door, making the soldier back away in fear, "But you...you are the monster."

"I-I-I-I..." the unnamed soldier stepped back, unsheathing his blade and held it with shaky hands, "STAY BACK!"

Naruto glanced at him and extended a hand. A flash and a scream was all that was needed before the soldier was reduced to ash. The blonde glanced down at the coughing Water Tribe member. The man reached up with a bloodied hand and dragged it down Naruto's right arm, over the marks he was cursed with.

"Y-You...not...A-Ava...Avatar..." the man said with unbound sadness, his eyes tearing up before he died. Naruto let the body fall before he calmly walked away. He was a monster for letting the man die with such sadness. He was a monster for brutally killing two of his countrymen. He was a monster for not caring about either.

But he was a monster on a mission, and that's all the blonde Bender cared about.

"Gah!" Zuko grunted as he was suddenly shot backwards by a bullet of rushing water. He rolled backwards and stopped when he collided with someone's hard legs. The prince of the Fire Nation grumbled and rubbed the back of his head as he looked up. His eyes widened as he saw the blonde prisoner standing behind him with arms crossed over his chest.

"Having trouble?" Naruto asked, a blonde brow arching in slight amusement. Zuko growled and got back to his feet, facing Naruto and firing a ball of fire at the opposing Waterbender. Naruto looked past him as the Waterbender was sent flying over the edge. The blonde looked back at the angered prince and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Down." He said, pushing the prince down as he turned to the left and dodged a flying icicle. Naruto reached out and grabbed the icicle with his free hand and caught it midair. He twirled it in his hands and chucked it back, shocking the Waterbender that had sent it flying in the first place as it impaled his chest.

Zuko blinked as he looked at the dead Waterbender before looking up at the blonde. Naruto looked down at him with cold eyes and spoke, "You've never taken a life. Don't start."

"Who are you to decide?" Zuko asked with narrowed eyes. Naruto kept his cold gaze on the burnt face of the prince and shook his head.

"Perhaps I was wrong," Naruto mumbled before turning and walking away, "Have fun."

"Fun?" Zuko repeated before he was suddenly knocked forward by a ball of ice. He stood and turned around, growling as he rushed to fight back with his Firebending. The words Naruto had left him with made him wonder, _Wrong about what?_

**There's chapter three. What does Naruto intend to do with his newfound freedom? What is going on in Ty Lee's head. And what's up with the sudden attack from the Kyoshi Warriors? Guess we'll never know...until the next update.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I cannot claim the wonderful orange clad ninja known as Naruto to be my own, nor can I claim the ownership to the wonderful world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**Monster of Ember Island**

"Hold still, damn you!" The Kyoshi Warrior cried as she swung her fans into the ground before her, splintering the wood of the deck. Ty Lee smirked and bounded away with a back handspring. The brunette acrobat was having a blast infuriating the warrior that continuously tried to hit her with her bladed fans. She rolled out of the way of a stray fire blast Azula had flung at the water tribe member that was once in the spot Ty Lee was in.

"That'd be silly! Why would I let you cut me?" the acrobat asked as she leapt to the railing of the Fire Nation warship. She jumped over the attempted horizontal swipe the Kyoshi dished out and landed on her two hands, swinging her legs around to try and nail a kick in the head. The Kyoshi backed up, allowing Ty Lee to hop off the railing, and crossed her arms as Ty Lee tried to kick her in the ribs.

Ty Lee smirked and lifted her left leg in an attempt to deliver a roundhouse kick to the side of the Kyoshi's head. The crack echoing in the night air due to her foot's connecting with the Kyoshi Warrior's head made her wince. The Kyoshi stumbled backwards and bumped into Azula, knocking the princess of balance and causing her to shoot a barrel of gunpowder.

Mai, who was near the gunpowder, widened her eyes and covered her face with her arms as the sizzling sound hit her ears. The nearby Water Tribe warrior wasn't as lucky when the barrels exploded and sent him flying off the warship. Mai was caught in the blast as well, and released a cry of shock when she was suddenly sent flying overboard.

Ty Lee saw this and dashed past the upset Azula, who sent a lightning bolt at the Kyoshi that had stumbled into her, to rescue her friend. The brunette leapt up and hooked her feet onto the railing of the warship, throwing her arms out and catching one of Mai's flailing arms. The raven haired girl panted and tried to catch her breath as she hung nearly forty feet above the depths of the cold water below. Ty Lee grinned at her friend and cheekily said, "So...fancy a swim?"

"Pull me up, Ty Lee!" Mai cried back with a slight amount of anger in her voice. Normally, she'd have laughed at her friend's attempt of humor, by laughing she would have smirked, but hanging over cold water when you were a Fire Nation girl that couldn't swim that well tends to paralyze your funny bone. Ty Lee smiled sheepishly and looked over her shoulder.

"Azula! AZULA!" Ty Lee cried. She waited as the ship continued to move and her grip began to slip. Mai and Ty Lee gasped when Mai's arm slipped out of Ty Lee's hold and she began falling again. Ty Lee unhooked her feet and hooked onto the edge of the boat, beneath the railing, before grabbing her friend's arms once again.

"AZULA!" the two girls cried, "ZUKO! SOMEONE!"

Another Water Tribe member went flying over the edge, but the girls noted the burnt corpse that followed it was a Fire Nation soldier. Ty Lee felt someone grab onto her ankles tightly and pull her up. The brunette looked over her shoulder and gasped when she saw the blonde prisoner formally locked up was hoisting her and her friend back onto the boat single handedly.

"Didn't anyone tell you not to lean on the edge of a ship?" Naruto grunted with annoyance as he pulled Ty Lee back onto the deck before he helped the acrobat pull the weapon mistress up. The blonde teen looked back to the fight once Mai collapsed onto the floor and Ty Lee knelt at her side.

Azula was shocking and burning anyone in her way and Zuko was having difficulties with a few Waterbenders. Naruto cracked his neck before taking a deep breath and clenching his fists. Ty Lee looked around as the wind began picking up and Naruto's red markings began to flicker lightly.

"This ends now," the blonde snarled out, bringing his arms back before throwing them forward, sending two bright white streams of fire from his palms as his hands opened. Azula and Zuko looked over their shoulders before dropping to the ground. The Fire Nation soldiers and attempting resistance fighters that didn't drop to the ground were all burnt to a crisp, before being incinerated into two long black streaks going down either side of the ship's deck. The remaining resistance fighters stared in fear and awe as the blonde stopped the flames without a sweat evident on his face.

Naruto calmly walked to a remaining Kyoshi Warrior and grabbed the shocked girl by her collar, lifting her into the air and baring his teeth. The girl's eyes were wide and her make-up was melting due to the sweat on her face. Blood came from the corner of her mouth and she gripped his arm, struggling to get free.

"Now...Everyone not of the Fire Nation leave this ship!" Naruto barked to the few remaining warriors. Without haste, the three Water Tribe members and lone Waterbender exchanged a glance before rushing towards him. Naruto narrowed his eyes before lifting his left arm towards them.

"Bad call," the blonde growled before a large white fireball shot from his hand and enveloped the three tribe members. The lone Waterbender stopped running and looked back to his fallen kin before glaring heatedly at the blonde holding a struggling Kyoshi Warrior.

"You...You damned bastard!" the Waterbender cried before moving his arms to the left towards the water. He spun as a long tendril of water shot up to the sky before circling the Waterbender. The Waterbender smirked and threw his arms at Naruto, "Choke on this, Firebending scum!"

Naruto scowled and kept his arm extended towards the approaching water. He grit his teeth as he began heating the approaching spear of water. The blonde's eyes narrowed and his eyes began slitting as a small bead of sweat appeared on the side of his head. Just as the spear was about to touch his extended hand, it burst into steam that shot back at the Waterbender. Said Waterbender's eyes widened before he was covered in the steam and he screamed in agony. Naruto lifted the man enveloped in steam as he raised his arm before he flung his left arm out over the ocean. The screaming Waterbender went soaring through the air before finally landing in the water, his skin melted away in some places while third degree burns covered him in spots that had skin.

Naruto looked back at the horrified Kyoshi Warrior, who slowly looked back at him, before calmly speaking, "Who are you?"

"W-Wh-What are you?" she countered, her green eyes widened in horror. Naruto's blue eyes narrowed coldly and the girl cried out as he increased the heat radiating from his arm she was weakly clutching. The warmth growing in his hand threatened to ignite the Kyoshi's collar.

"Answer me!" Naruto demanded as he shook her once, "Who. Are. You?"

"J-Ju! My name is Ju!" the Kyoshi, now known as Ju, cried out, "Stop! Please!"

"Why are you here?" Naruto asked, ignoring her plea as he shook her in his arm, "Talk! Tell me why you're here!"

"W-We intercepted a message falcon! The Prince and Princess were returning to Ba Sing Se to speak with their father!" Ju said, tears strolling down her face. She panted before her eyes widened as she recalled something and she suddenly slammed her jaw shut. A small crack hit Naruto's ears and the slight motion of chewing in her jaw muscles made his eyes widen. He wrapped both hands around her neck and squeezed, but she smirked as she swallowed before he choked her.

"No-no-no, NO goddamn it! Spit it out! Spit it out!" Naruto snarled, his eyes narrowed in determination as he pressed on her throat, "Don't you dare! Just tell me what I need to know! You don't need to do this!"

"Y-You...Y-You'll get...nothing...from...me..." Ju spat before her mouth foamed over and her eyes rolled into her head. Naruto dropped the girl onto her back and stood up before taking a few steps back. He looked at the girl and sent a fireball her way to incinerate her body. The fireball stopped midair and Naruto looked to see Azula smirking his way. Her hand was extended in his fireball's direction, indicating it was her that had stopped him from cremating the forced-suicide girl.

"Now, now, now," She chided as she sent the fireball flying in another direction, hitting an innocent Fire Nation soldier and incinerating him on the spot, "We need all the information we can get."

Naruto bared his clenched teeth and growled, "She doesn't need to be dishonored further than she already is..."

"She may contain important information on her person," Azula said with a smirk. She walked towards the body only for Naruto to slam his hand into her stomach. Or at least he tried. Azula grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back. Naruto growled and kicked back into her thigh, causing Azula to release him. He faced her again and narrowed his eyes.

"I _will_ cremate her body!" He snarled. Azula laughed and patted his head, strolling around him as he growled in irritation at her dismissal. Naruto spoke with a harsh tone in a last attempt to stop her, "No one should dishonor the dead. It's an act that not even the Fire Lord would commit."

"Silly boy," the princess smirked out as she knelt next to the dead body, "This is war. Honor means nothing...Zu-Zu can atone to that, right brother?"

Zuko merely growled back at her as he crossed his arms in displeasure at being reminded of his failures. Naruto scowled and walked back towards the doors, being blocked by two Firebenders. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Get the _fuck_ out of my way."

"You are still a prisoner of war," Azula chimed from her place searching the body; the blonde could hear the smug smile in her voice as she continued with, "Can't let you do what you want without a babysitter."

Naruto growled louder as he tried to brush past the two Firebenders. The two masked men pushed him back and went into starting stances, making the blonde's growl grow louder as he crouched into a ready defense, two balls of white light growing from his palms. Before flames could soar, Ty Lee walked to Naruto's side and said without hesitation, "I'll watch him!"

This earned Mai, Zuko, and Azula's attention. The former two blinked in surprise while the princess smirked and replied nonchalantly, "Fine. All I ask is that you remember to leave him pure in case Father decides for him to be mine, Ty Lee!"

"S-Shut up, Azula!" Ty Lee shot back, grabbing the irate blonde's right wrist and dragging him off the deck, keeping her face out of his line of sight, as well as everyone else's. The brunette acrobat had a flushed face, and it didn't help that Azula had to go and insinuate such a thing! Ty Lee shook the thoughts from her mind as she looked at the now calm Naruto, examining his dark blue aura as it lightened slightly.

"So...Why'd you break out?" Ty Lee asked him as they walked through the ship towards her quarters. She was trying hard not to stare at the blood covering his arm and torso, the thick liquid barely registering in her sight due to the dimmed red lighting. She rubbed her hand on the side of her pants, trying to clean it of blood.

"A rebel tried to free me," Naruto replied with no emotion as he shook his head, "Damned fool got himself killed from the effort. I cremated the bodies."

"Why'd he try to free you, Naruto?" Ty Lee asked, her brown eyes reflecting curiosity within them. She ignored the fact that he said 'bodies' rather than 'body', not wanting to believe he killed Fire Nation Soldiers.

The blonde snorted before replying, "He thought I was the Avatar."

"..._Really_?"

"My thoughts exactly."

"So, they thought...Why'd you help us?"

"...I felt like it."

"That's it? You _felt_ like it?"

"...Would you rather have had to swim back to this ship? I can still throw you out a window."

"Uh, no thanks...But still, why'd you save me and Mai? Well, I can understand Mai. Why'd you save me?"

"..."

Ty Lee sighed in defeat. Whatever was going through the blonde's mind would remain there until he said anything. She glanced at the blonde and noticed the steam coming from his body, blinking in surprise. Curious, she poked his arm, earning an annoyed glance from the taller teen, and was surprised to find his arm was not only firm (a fact that made her hormones cry out in glee) but it was literally hot. Her fingertip had relocated itself into her mouth as she tried to ease the pain from the small burn.

"There's a reason for that proverb," Naruto suddenly spoke as they walked, "Play with fire, and you're gonna get burned."

"How are you still alive? How am I still alive? If I had to guess you're body temperature has to be dangerously high!" Ty Lee exclaimed with worry, preparing to divert their destination to the medic's office.

Naruto scowled with annoyance, "I'm a Firebender. Our temperatures are always abnormal."

"Yeah, but not hot enough to burn someone's finger!" Ty Lee shot back, showing her fingertip to the blonde, who stared at it impassively, before she continued, "And I'm pretty sure Zuko and Azula don't give off steam after a fight!"

"The _Princess_ and Zuko are not _me_," Naruto quickly snapped back, narrowing his eyes at the concerned looking girl, "I'm fine. Just take me back to my cell so I can sleep."

"You-you...You're so confusing!" Ty Lee screamed as he continued down their original path. She scowled at his back, freezing when her eyes inadvertently drifted down to look at a certain part of his anatomy, before shaking the feeling off and rushing back to his side. Once on his right again, Ty Lee looked at the blonde with a frown, "Why'd you come up to help us if you're just going to lock yourself back up?"

That made Naruto stop walking as he thought about her words before shaking his head and continuing. _She needs not to know of my reasons...then again, they do concern-what the Hell am I thinking? Just because I do not wish to see her corrupted by the war, it does not mean I have to tell her so. Gods forbid, I actually give her a _reason_ to smile at me._

Ty Lee sighed at his quietness before grinning up at him, aiming for a new tactic, before she said, "Azula may be right though...her father may try to force you two together."

"Skippity-fucking-do-dah for us," Naruto growled as he realized that fact for himself. Gods forbid that would actually happen. The blonde would rather lop his own head off than be bound to the she-devil that was Azula, and he'd rather do it with a rusty and dulled blade if he had to consummate with that horrid girl. Naruto grunted when Ty Lee elbowed him in the side.

"Hey, she may seem bad, but Azula's a nice girl...she warms onto you..." Her voice seemed to be hopeful. The taller teen smirked and shook his head. He had to admit, 'the girl with her head in the clouds' act was kind of cute, in an innocent way.

"So how long has she been 'warming' onto you?" Naruto shot back, his cerulean blue eyes locking on the girl walking with him. Ty Lee frowned up at him, feigning confusion, and he smirked knowingly. With a slightly amused tone in his voice, Naruto continued, "You really don't approve of her actions and all she seems to do is use you as a verbal punching-bag. If I had to guess, she indirectly forced you to join her 'squad' as a sort-of vent. Mai seems to have done it willingly, so she has more of a tolerance or resistance to the Princess' attitude, and Zuko...Hell, he's her fucking brother. Dishonored and demoted."

Ty Lee stopped walking and gaped up at the blonde's back, wondering how he got all that from her without talking to her. Had he really got all that just from observing her and analyzing the rest of her friends in a short amount of time?

"...I've changed my mind," Naruto suddenly said from a few feet ahead of her, not turning to look at her as he continued to walk, "I think I might get some food before returning to my cell. Come on. I can't go anywhere 'without a babysitter'."

The brunette shook herself from her thoughts and rushed after the blonde, redirecting him towards the cafeteria. This portion of the journey was done in silence as Ty Lee kept sneaking glances to the blonde boy next to her, and the blonde in question kept wondering how he would go about keeping Ty Lee 'pure'.

_He had so much power it hurt. It was burning him up and he had to let loose!_

_It had to come out, had to be unleashed._

_And unleashed it was._

Naruto sat up from his cot in his small room that had been set aside. After being begged by Ty Lee to not return to the hold, which he only listened to because it pained him to see the girl so desperately asking him for something. The fact that her little pout and pleading stance looked cute on her had nothing to do with it at all...or so he told himself. The blonde wiped a hand across the back of his head, clearing the drenching sweat that covered him after that nightmare. With a tired sigh, the blonde flopped back down onto the bed and squeezed his eyes shut.

_**Accept my offer...and the girl is yours.**_

Naruto's eyes snapped open again and he looked around. With a groan, he put his hands on his ears and shut his eyes again. That damned spirit of his was trying to get out again. He had to think of something, anything, else if he wanted to get some sleep. The image of Ty Lee in her bikini came to mind and the blonde felt his cheeks heat up before scowling and smacking himself across the face.

"Anything but that," he grumbled to himself as he rolled onto his stomach and closed his eyes again, thinking of the boat rocking back and forth when a new thought came to mind.

_I wonder how long it will be until we reach Ba Sing Se?_


End file.
